Machine construction



June 12, 1945- `J. B. GIERN ET AL MACHINE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. ze,1942 4253 5o 53 se gi/f WML@

Patented `J une 12, 1945 MACHINE CONSTRUCTION James B. kGiern and AndersP. Anholtt; Detroit,`

Mich., assignors vto lGiern and Anholtt Tool Company,

Michigan Detroit, Mich., a corporation No! Application January 26,1942', Serial No. 428,216

(cl. sos-6) 1o claims.

This invention relates to machines with reciprocating carriages orslides and `in particular to guideway constructions for such carriages.

One object of this invention is vto provide a carriage' or slideguideway construction wherein the carriage is automatically urgedagainst its guideway by resilient devices. 1

Another object is to pnovide a self-'adjusting machine way constructionwherein the carriage or vslide reciprocates along guideways 'with iiat'surfaces, the carriage or slide being urged 'constantly into engagementwith the guideways by spring urged plungers, these preferablyhavinglrollers for engaging the guideways..

In the drawing: n' Figure 1 is adiagrammaticalside elevation of amachine having reciprocating slides or carriages embodying theself-adjusting guideway construction. according to the presentinvention; Figure 2y is a topplan view of the left-hand endofFigure1;

' Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section alongthe line3-3 inFigure1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section along the line 4-4 in Figure 1;

shown in Figure 4. '-f

y General arrangement Y y In general, the invention consists oi' aself-adjusting guideway construction for machines having reciprocatingsildes yor carriages. The `bed of 'the machine is provided wtih hardenedsteelv ways or guide railswith accurately machined side and topsur-faces.. These are engaged yby corre-v spondingly lmachined surfacesupon theybottom and inner` side walls of the carriage or slide, whichisprovided with downwardly. extending ilanges along its edges.v Mountedinone of these flanges are hollow plungers having rollers mounted ontheir outer ends.V These rollers are urged vinto engagement withthe'side wall of one ofthe guide rails or ways-by coil springsmountedwith# in the hollow plungers vand seated against plugs held inbrackets secured to theA slide or carriage.` In this manner thecorrespondingvsurfacesof the slide and guideways are urged constantlyinto chines which have actually been constructed acor carriages andthe'rnachine bed; and at th same time to retain high precisioncandaccuracy in the operation or the machine. The present p invention hasbeen' foundfinr actual practice to satisfy theseconflictingrequirements.A In macording tothe 'present invention, lthecarriages `or slides have operated successfully in auto- '2"5 Figure 5is a front elevation of the structure sliding engagement with oneanother so that any wear is automatically taken up. ff

The invention is especially well adapted to the `construction of'machinetools having reciproy planers, and the like, it has been diilicultrtomaintain a free sliding engagement betweenthe slides matically taking upwear and preventing inaccuracy of motion between the reciprocatingparts.

Detailed construction i l Referring to the drawing'in detail, `Figure lshows a machine I0 having ahollow bed II withv a central well I2 andraised enclv portions I3.

Extending upwardly from the Vtop wall I4 of thek central portions I3 areintegral ribs I5 having flat upper surfacesv I6 and anges I1 withabutment surfaces I8 (Fig. 3). The ribsIS are provided with verticalbores I9 for'receiving bolts y the under surface- Y the surfaces I6 andI8 inthe ribs I5. Upper surfaces 25 and the lateral outer surfaces 26ofthe guide rails 23 'and 24, are accuratelymachined In theright-handrib or Aflange 32 the surfacel 23 does not directly engage thecorresponding surface 26. This .engagement is made by rollers 31 mountedon pins 38 secured in transverse bores 39 in hollow plungers 40. Thelatter are reciprocably mounted in bores 4I. The plungers 49 areprovided Lwith end recesses ,42,v for receiving the rollers 39.

The plungersid are also provided with sockets 43 adapted to receive coilsprings 44 seated against the walls betweenthe recesses 4I andy sockets43. The opposite endsof the coil springs 44 engage' the inner ends 45 ofplugs 43 slideably mounted in the sockets 43. @The plugs46 are providedwith 'heads 41 Ahaving transverse slots 48 adapted to receive theends`49 of 'T- shaped brackets 5D. The central'portions of the The- Theways 23 and 24 T-shaped brackets 50 are provided with bores 5| alignedwith threaded bores 52 engaged by set screws 53 for securing thebrackets 50 to the ribs 32. The slides or carriages 30 are provided withthe usual flat working surfaces 54 having T-slots 55 therein forreceiving hold-down bolts (not shown) by which the Work to be machinedis mounted upc-n the'carriages or slide. Qptionally, other tools orattachments may be mountedA on the slides S in the same manner.

Operation In the operation of the invention the slide or carriage 30 isplaced in position upon'the: guida rails or ways 23 and 24 andtheretaining strips 36 bolted in lposition to prevent the removal thereof.The plungers 4D are then inserted in the bores 4l and turneduntil theslots it ofthe. plugs 46 are horizontal. The ends 49 of the T- shapedbrackets 50 are then inserted in the slots 48'andthe brackets securedtothe rib 32v by the setscreW-s 53.

The slide 30 is reciprocated by any conventional. mechanism (notshoWn)-. As the slide 38 reciprocates its Weight maintains its surfaces.21 in enl insliding contact during the entiraoperationu themachine asthe slides'. reciprocate to. and;

fro. The precision attainable by themachnn is;

thus greatly enhanced by'this. constructiomand.

due to 'ther fact that comparativelylargeqsurilaccs: are in slidingcontact, the Wearfon. the surfaces:

is comparatively slight'.

While a specific embodiment ofthe invention.

hasb'een described andillustrated, 'it will be un:-

dei-stood that various modifications may bemade within the scope of theappended claims.Without departing from thespirit of the. invention.

What We claim is:

l. Ina machine construction, a support having a plurality of elongatedguides thereon, a. slide. mounted for sliding movement on said guidesand having a portion laterally engageable withv one of said guides,spaced anti-friction meansfor urging said slide portion into lateralengagement with said guide, yielding spring means for engaging said'anti-'friction means to place* the same under tension, and an adjustingabutment member spanning pairs of said spaced' anti-friction means andengaging said yielding means to place 'said anti-friction 'means underequal tension.

2. In a machine construction, a supportfl'ia'ving a plurality ofelongated guides thereon, 'a slide mounted for slidingmovement on saidguides and having a portion laterally engageableI with one of saidguides, spaced anti-frictionmeans connected to said slide for urgingsaid' slide portion into lateral engagement with said guide, yieldingspring means. for engaging said anti-friction means to place the sameunder tension, and an adjusting abutment -member: spanning pairs. ofsaid: spaced. anti-friction means and. engaging.

-, said yielding means. to place said anti-friction;

, rotatably mounted in the ends thereofxin. engage-n another laterallyengaging portion of said slide-` ing a plurality of 'elongated guidesthereon, a slide mounted for sliding movement on said guides and havinga portion laterally engageable with one of said guides, spacedanti-friction means connected to said slide engaging another guidelaterally on the opposite side from the side of lateral engagement ofsaid first mentioned guide byv-said slide portion, yielding spring meansfor engaging said anti-friction means to place the same under tension,and a bridge member engaging at its ends with the yielding spring meansof certain-.pairs of said anti-friction means.

4. In a machine construction, a support having apluralityofA elongatedguides. thereon, a slide 1 mountedfonslidingmovement on said guides andhaving' a portion laterally engageable with one of said guides,anti-friction plungers connected to Said-Slide. andcngaging the lateralside of another guide opposite to the side of the guide engagedby saidslide portion for holding said slide in engagementwith one of saidguides, yielding spring means for engaging said anti-friction meansto'placethe -Ksame under tension, and an abutment baradjustablyyfastened to vsaid slide having its ends engaging,v4 certainpairs of said yieldingjV spring means to. place` said anti-frictionplungers under equalized pressure:y

f 5. Ina machine constructiom a: 'SuDPQrt having a pair of elongated'guideswith lateral guide surfaces spaced.y at' equalsseparationstherea10ne.,.

a.. sudemcunted for sliding movement.- on said guides Vand having a;portion. laterally engaging..` one;of:.said' guide surfaces;- :spacedanti-friction:

means Connected to said-slide and yieldinely'ene gaging another of saidguide suraces for yieldnsly; urging seid slide;` portioninto engagementwith s;aid.1irst mentioned` euidesurfaces, said amie-frictionmeanscomprising plurieers mount.-

edin; spaced horesfformed inonenof said laterally` engaging-slideportions; having roller members mentl with .as corresponding: guide.surface-,sand

spring members confined in said. bores. foryield-f" ingly urging saidrollers; into engagement. with said guide. f-

6. Inza machine'. construction, a

Slipport v having a pair of elongated guides Withf lateral guide#` forengaging the other lateral guide surface opposite to the first-mentionedlateral 'guide surfacel and coil springs confined in said bores engagingsaid plungers for urging the laterally engaging portion of said slideand said first guide into engagement.

'7. 'Ina machine construction, a support having a pairl o elongatedguides with .lateral guide surfaces spaced at equal separationstheres-long, a

slidemountedfor sliding movement on said guidesK and having a portionlaterally engaging one of said guide-surfaces, a' series of bores formedin in opposed relation 4to' said 'first-mentioned guide surface, aspacedf yieldnglyeurged plunger L mounted in each bore having: a rollercontact memberY thereon yieldingly' engaging. one of said lateral guidesurfaces. forurging said slide into engagementwith the other lateralguide surface,"

coilv springsicrmiinedv in. said bores for placing said plungers under:tension,v andan adjusting-f member spanning certain pairs of said spacedbores having the ends thereof in engagement with said coil springs.

8. In a machine construction, a support having a pair of elongated guidemembers each having an upper guide surface and a lateral guide surface,a slide mounted fo`r sliding movement upon said upper guide surface andhavinga portion engageable with one of said lateral guide surfaces, aseries of bores formed in the slide in another lateral guide-engagingportion, thereof,

vplunger members located in said spaced bores having rollers on thependsthereof for engaging the other lateral guide surface for urging saidfirst-mentioned slide portion into engagement with said iirst-mentionedlateral guide surface, coil springs confined in said bores for placingsaid plungers under tension, plunger members engaging the other ends ofthe coil springs and telescoped with the rst-mentioned plunger member,and an adjusting bar spanning certain parts of said second-mentionedplunger member to maintain the first-mentioned plungers under tension.

9. In a machine construction, a support having a pair of elongated guidemembers each having an upper guide surface and a lateral guide surface,a slide mounted for sliding movement upon said upper guide surface andhaving a portion engageable with one of said lateral guide surfaces,

a plurality of spaced yieldingl'y-urged spaced plungers mounted on saidslide, rollers carried by each plunger, and yieldingly engaging theother engaging portion, plungers mounted in each of k said bores,rollers carried by each plunger in en'- gagement with the other lateralguide surface, coil springs mounted in recesses in said `plungers,plunger pins extending into-said recess engaging said coil springs forurging said slide portion'into engagement With said first-mentionedlateral guide surface and abutment bars spanning certain pairs of saidplunger pins connected to said slide, said abutment bars being providedwith projections for reception in depressions in the outer ends of saidplunger pins.

JAMES B.' GIERN. ANDERS P. ANHOLTT.

